Secondly, Lady Macbeth falls victim to her own ambition when it leads to her suffering due to her overwhelming guilt. Lady Macbeth first exhibits her ambition when she feels the impulse to rid her emotions in order to become queen. She wants to rid herself of her emotions and remorse in order to do what she believes needs to be done. She calls on the spirits saying, “Make thick my blood./ Stop up the access and passage to remorse,/ That no compunctious visitings of nature/ Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between/ The effect and it!”(I.v.42-45). Upon learning of the witches prophecy for Macbeth to become king, Lady Macbeth is more than willing to go to the extreme length of giving up her humanity and compassion in order to follow her ambition
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She tells Macbeth that she will take care of King Duncan’s assassination in order to change their lives forever, and become king and queen. Then, overwhelming guilt consumes Lady Macbeth after committing the murder of Duncan. This guilt and suffering makes her a victim, all because of her own ambition. Her guilt is displayed when she subconsciously attempts to rid herself of the blood/guilt on her hands. While sleepwalking, she talks about her persistent guilt when she says, “Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”(V.i.44-45). It is evident that the guilt is eating away at her conscience, this continues until she commits suicide because of it. In the final moments of the play Malcolm talks of Lady Macbeth’s suicide saying, “Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen,/ Who, as ‘tis thought, by self and violent hands/ took off her life”(V.ix.36-38). Using the parameters of a victim described in a dictionary definition, it is evident that Lady Macbeth, due to the suffering and finally death she endures would undeniably classify as a victim. Lady Macbeth’s ambition is ultimately the reason for her being a victim, because it leads her to murder the King, then the resulting guilt and suffering leads her to murder
She tells Macbeth that she will take care of King Duncan’s assassination in order to change their lives forever, and become king and queen. Then, overwhelming guilt consumes Lady Macbeth after committing the murder of Duncan. This guilt and suffering makes her a victim, all because of her own ambition. Her guilt is displayed when she subconsciously attempts to rid herself of the blood/guilt on her hands. While sleepwalking, she talks about her persistent guilt when she says, “Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand”(V.i.44-45). It is evident that the guilt is eating away at her conscience, this continues until she commits suicide because of it. In the final moments of the play Malcolm talks of Lady Macbeth’s suicide saying, “Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen,/ Who, as ‘tis thought, by self and violent hands/ took off her life”(V.ix.36-38). Using the parameters of a victim described in a dictionary definition, it is evident that Lady Macbeth, due to the suffering and finally death she endures would undeniably classify as a victim. Lady Macbeth’s ambition is ultimately the reason for her being a victim, because it leads her to murder the King, then the resulting guilt and suffering leads her to murder